Efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery for cerebral cavernous malformations - A single-institution retrospective study.

Background: Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are low-flow vascular malformations of the central nervous system. Although surgical resection is the primary treatment for symptomatic CCMs, gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has been considered as an alternative treatment for CCMs with high surgical risk. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of GKRS in the treatment of CCMs.

A Screening Protocol to Identify Older Adults With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers in Northern Vietnam.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) pose a growing public health challenge in Vietnam. This study describes a community-based screening protocol to identify older adults and their primary family caregivers in Hai Duong province to support recruitment for a caregiver intervention clinical trial.

Methods: Village health workers were trained to identify older adults at risk for dementia using a simplified tool adapted from the California Alzheimer's Disease Centers' Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit.

Hepatitis C virus incidence trend and its risk factors among people who inject drugs in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Background: HCV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID) remains unacceptably high. Using the data from the DRIVE study, we aimed to describe HCV incidence trends and investigate its associated risk factors among PWID in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Methods: Active PWID were recruited through 3 annual respondent-driven sampling (RDS) surveys; part of them were included in the study cohorts.

A descriptive analysis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob cases in Vietnam: 31 patients from four tertiary care centers.

Background: Accurate diagnosis of sCJD remains challenging in developing countries such as Vietnam, as clinical and research efforts focus on treatable diseases. Several cases of sCJD have been diagnosed in Vietnam but data from formal analyses are lacking. This is the first systematic analysis of patients with sCJD in Vietnam.

Human-like Skin Tissue Graft Generated Using Human UmbilicalCordBlood Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Acellular Amniotic Membrane: A New Approach in Reconstructive Medicine.

Background: Due to its outstanding biological properties, the Human Amniotic Membrane (HAM) has been a topic of medical research for many years to treat, repair, and regenerate damages related to the epithelial surface, corneal epithelial, orthopedic, and infected body parts. The HAM shows crucial anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties and immunomodulating qualities. Therefore, the HAM is one of the most used natural biomaterials in tissue engineering to generate bio-scaffolds.

The correlation of social support and family support with HIV-related stigma and depression in people living with HIV in Vietnam.

Background: HIV-related stigma and symptoms of depression (SOD) in people living with HIV (PLWH) remain public health challenges in many countries. This study determined the levels of support PLWH received from family and community and their impact on HIV-related stigma and SOD.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with PLWH at four outpatient clinics in four districts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Equipment Shortages in Vietnam: A Critical Gap in Cancer Care.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the current availability and distribution of radiotherapy (RT) and nuclear medicine equipment in Vietnam, focusing on the shortage of linear accelerators (LINACs), positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanners, and brachytherapy units. The study seeks to quantify these shortages and highlight the implications for cancer treatment access and outcomes.

Methods: Data were collected from 50 hospitals across Vietnam that provide RT services or nuclear medicine imaging.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for benign tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia: a single-institution retrospective study.

Background: Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKRS) is recognized as an effective and safe alternative treatment for skull base tumors and trigeminal neuralgia. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of targeting both tumor and trigeminal nerve in a single procedure for patients with benign tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 44 patients with benign tumor-related trigeminal neuralgia who underwent GKRS targeting both tumor and trigeminal nerve in a single procedure between December 2016 and December 2022.

Agricultural byproduct-derived biochar for mitigating trace metal risks from soil to rice to public health: implications for sustainable management.

Heavy metal contamination in soil and its accumulation in rice poses a health risk to over 50% of the global population. Simultaneously, the poor management and underutilization of agricultural biomass waste presents an additional environmental challenge. Converting this biomass into biochar offers a potential solution to these challenges.

Knowledge and attitudes about dementia among nursing students in Vietnam: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Dementia is one of the most pressing health concerns among the ageing population, imposing significant health, financial and caregiving burdens on people with dementia (PWD), their families and caregivers. Building the capacity of nursing students is essential for effectively improving quality of life for affected people. This study aimed to assess nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward dementia and its associated factors.

Alleviating symptoms of paediatric acute rhinosinusitis and acute otitis media with otorrhea using nasal-spraying Bacillus probiotics: a randomized controlled trial.

Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) in children may be accompanied by acute otitis media (AOM) which is often associated with bacterial co-infections. These conditions are among the primary reasons that children visit hospitals and require antibiotic treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy of the nasal-spraying probiotics (LiveSpo Navax containing 5 billion Bacillus subtilis and B.

Unraveling microplastic pollution patterns in sediments of a river system: The combined impacts of seasonal changes and waterway differences.

Microplastic (MP) distribution in river sediment, influenced by water regimes and pollution sources, remains understudied in the current literature. This study examines the combined impacts of seasonal variation and waterway differences on MP concentration in the sediment of the Saigon River and its tributaries, while identifying potential sources. Paired sediment samples were collected from eleven sites along the river and its tributaries during rainy and dry seasons.

Effectiveness of a Smartphone-Based Stress Management Program for Depression in Hospital Nurses During COVID-19 in Vietnam and Thailand: 2-Arm Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care professionals experienced high levels of depression. However, extant research has not highlighted effective internet-based psychological interventions to improve the mental health in this population during the pandemic. It remains unclear whether self-guided, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) programs are effective in improving the mental health of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowledge and attitudes about dementia among nursing students in Vietnam: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: Dementia is one of the most pressing health concerns in ageing population, posing significant burdens not only on the well-being and independence of people with dementia (PWD), but also on their families and communities. Building capacity for nursing students is essential for effectively enhancing the quality of life for affected people. However, various studies have highlighted knowledge gaps concerning dementia among nursing students worldwide.

Spatial and temporal-trend assessment of desertification-sensitive land using the desertification sensitivity index in the provincial Ninh Thuan, Vietnam.

Desertification is a specific land-degrading process, reducing soil productivity and potentially threatening global food security. Therefore, spatially and temporally identifying and mapping desertification-sensitive areas is essential for better management. The current study aimed to (1) assess spatial areas sensitive to desertification and (2) examine the changing tendency of the desertification-sensitive areas over the past 25 years in the provincial Ninh Thuan.

The influence of attributes on community preferences regarding antibiotic treatment: evidence from a discrete choice model.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) rates in Vietnam are among the highest in Asia, and recent infections due to multi-drug resistance in the country have caused thousands of deaths each year. This study investigated a Vietnamese community's preferences for antibiotic treatment and its knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotics. A discrete choice experiment-based survey was developed and administered to the population of interest.

Experience of Autologous Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Zoledronate-Actived Gammadelta T Cells.

Background: Several nations around the world have utilized autologous immune enhancement therapy in the treatment of cancer, with initial positive outcomes. This study describes our experience with autologous gamma delta T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer patients in Vietnam, a developing nation.

Methods: Five patients with non-small cell lung cancer at stages III - IV were enrolled in the study.

Community-based prevalence and associated factors of sarcopenia in the Vietnamese elderly.

Sarcopenia, a condition characterized by muscle mass decline, is one of the leading health problems in the elderly. This study determined the rate of sarcopenia according to criteria by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) and related factors in elderly people. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 632 people aged 60 years or over in Ho Chi Minh City.

Care needs assessment of older adults with dementia in a semi-rural district in Vietnam: A community-based cross-sectional study.

Background: The increasing needs of people living with dementia (PLWD) in Vietnam present an enormous public health challenge. Vietnam is an understudied country, and little is known regarding the overall unmet needs of caregivers or the demographic risk factors associated with unmet caregiving needs. This study aimed to determine the burden of unmet care needs of community-dwelling PLWD and identify sociodemographic risks associated with unmet care needs.

Heavy metal pollution in surface water bodies in provincial Khanh Hoa, Vietnam: Pollution and human health risk assessment, source quantification, and implications for sustainable management and development.

The global issue of heavy metal pollution in surface water poses a significant concern, with the potential to harm public health through various pathways. Given that pollution levels are dependent on water bodies and seasons and their potential impacts on human health vary with children and adults, it is crucial to identify and quantify pollution sources for the development of sustainable management strategies. The current study aimed to evaluate pollution levels and associated health risks of heavy metals and to quantify their pollution sources in various surface water bodies in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam.

Injecting drug use increases the risk of death in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy in Vietnam.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic remains a major public health issue worldwide. In Vietnam, the HIV epidemic is essentially driven by people who inject drugs (PWID). This study aims to compare mortality and loss to follow-up (LTFU) between PWID and other patients.

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Spetzler-Martin Grade III Brain Arteriovenous Malformations.

Background: Spetzler-Martin (SM) grade III arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) show angioarchitecture heterogeneity and lack a clearly defined treatment strategy. This study aims to evaluate outcomes after treatment of SM grade III AVMs with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS).

Methods: A single-institution retrospective analysis was conducted of 307 patients with SM grade III AVMs undergoing GKRS between October 2006 and December 2020 with follow-up times of at least 24 months.